After the Reconquista, which was the re-conquest of Muslim-controlled areas of Spain by the Spanish monarchy, religious relations in Spain remained friendly. However, around the end of the 14th century, a violent wave of anti-Semitism occured and many Jews were forcibly converted to Catholicism. When King II of Aragon discoved that many of the New Christians, or conversos, were secretly practicing Judaism, he pressed Pope Sixtus IV for action. By threatening the withdrawal of military support, he was able to obtain a papal bull condoning the formation of an Inquisition. Anti-Semitic paranoia caused the people of Spain to report on the activities of their neighbors, and the Inquisition gained trememdous power. However, while a desire for religious unity was one cause of the inquisition, it was also provoked by the greed of the Spanish rulers, who gained capital through the Inquisition.
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| Pope Sixtus IV: Pope Sixtus attempted to stop the Spanish Inquisition but Ferdinand ignored his authority. |
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| King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella. King Ferdinand II of Aragon was the monarch who began the Spanish Inquisition. |